Automatic chimsrsy-sweei



R. L. HINMAN.

AUTOMATIC CHIMNEY SWEEP.

APPLICATION FILED OCT-15, 1912;.

1 35 5% 9 Patented J 11116 3, 1919.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

M REJLLIEL.HINMAN. MMM j/fzgw fiw R. L. HINMAN.

AUTOMATIC CHIMNEY SWEEP.

APPLICATION FILED 0011s. 1918.

3; 35 43 Patented June 3, 1919.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2- iv/ if I RULLIE L.HINMAN. 67M Mn g 55; Mafia ROLLIE L. HTNMAN, 0F ELKIIABT, ILLINOIS.

AUTOMATIC cHnvnvnY-swnnr.

Application filed Gctober 15, 1918.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Roman L. Hrmmn, a citizen of the United States, residing at Elkhart, in the county of Logan and State of Illinois, have invented a new and useful Automatic Chimney-Sweep, of which the following is a specification.

The invention relates to mechanical chimney sweeps of the type in which the operation of the sweep is controlled by a vane actuated by the variable air currents prevailing from time to time above the chimney.

The purposes of the invention are to provide in conjunction with a vane rotative by the wing, a flexible drag extending practically the entire length of the chimney and effective to sweep the soot from the entire inner surface of the flue or chimney and from all its angles; to provide a balanced vane; to provide in conjunction with the vane a thrust bearing of improved construction reducing to the minimum the friction of the rotating parts; to provide means for centering the thrust bearing relative to the supporting structure and the axis of the vane; to provide in connection with the chimney a guard frame adjustable to fit flues of different sizes and adapted to keep the flexible drag in constant contact with the vertical inner surface of the flue, or with any angle bounded by the vertical walls of the fine, as the case may be, and also adapted to prevent the flexible drag from catching in mortar joints or on the rough upper end of the flue; to provide a sweep arm adjustable to suit fines of different sizes; to pro vide an adjustable attaching frame adapted to be attached in different positions on chimneys of different sizes; to provide means for adjusting the sweep upward or downward in the direction of the longitudinal axis of the flue; and to provide other improved structural details.

The invention is illustrated in the annexed drawings and will now be fully described and the novel features thereof will be recited in the claims.

Figure 1 is a front elevation of the automatic chimney sweep in position on a rectangular chimney; Fig. 2 is a top plan; Fig. 3 is a left-hand side elevation; Fig. 1- is an enlarged fragmentary horizontal section through the attaching frame on the line X. X. of Fig. 1; Fig. 5 is an enlarged front elevation of part of the adjusting frame 7 which supports the vane and appurtenances;

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 3, 1919.

Serial No. 258,195.

Fig. 6 is an enlarged top plan of the structure shown in Fig. 5; Fig. 7 is an enlarged horizontal section on the line Y. Y. of Fig. 8; Fig. 8 is a vertical section on the line Z. Z. of Fig. 7 Fig. 9 is an enlarged top plan of the self-centering retainer which supports the thrust bearing; Fig. 10 is a vertical section on the line TV. W. of Fig. 9; Fig. 11 is an enlarged isometric view of one member of the guard frame; Fig. 12 is a diagram, on a reduced scale, showing the attaching frame connected with a circular smoke stack or chimney, and Fig. 13 is a diagram, on a reduced scale, showing the attaching frame in connection with a hexagonal chimney, or chimney-top.

The same reference numerals designate the same parts in all the views.

The main structure comprises an attaching-frame for adjustably connecting the apparatus with the chimney; a supporting frame which supports the vane and appurtenances; and an intermediate frame constituting an adjustable connection between the connecting frame and the supporting frame. These parts will now be described in the order stated.

The attaching frame consists of two iron bars 1 of length somewhat less than the full width of the chimney and of suitable width and thickness and each having a central block 2 adapted to abut against the outer wall of the chimney to steady the frame and to permit the frame-members to slide, one on the other, and each having longitudinal. slots 3 on each side of its center; extension bars at capable of longitudinal adjustment on the respective members of the bars 1; bolts 5 extending through holes 6 in the bars 4 and through the slots 3 in the bars 1 and adjustably connecting the extension bars 4 with the central bars 1; and screw-rods 7 connecting the pair of extension bars 4 on one bar 1, with the pair of extension bars on the other bar 1. Upon loosening the nuts on the bolts 5 the bars l may be slid outwardly on the bars 1 to suit chimneys of greater width, and the nuts may then be tightened to hold the bars f in their extended position. The rods 7 will be screw-threaded for a considerable part of their length and will preferably be long enough to extend across the respective side walls of the largest chimney ordinarily used; and if the f tune is to be attached to a smaller chimney, the projecting bolt ends will be cut off so as not to project unnecessarily beyond the face of the chimney.

An arm 8 is stationary on the bar 1 at right angles to the bar. A cross bar com prising parallel members 9 and 10 united by bolts 12.is connected with the arm 8 by a set screw 13 so that by loosening the set screw the cross bar may be slid inwardly or outwardly on the arm to adjust the cross bar relatively to the bar 1, and when'the cross bar is properly adjusted the set screw may be tightened to hold it in place. At each end of each of the members 9 and 10 is an enlargement 14 having an angular groove 15; the form of the grooves being such that rods of different cross sections, say round, or polygonal, may be inserted in the grooves and when the nuts on the bolts 12 are tightened the walls of the grooves will firmly grip and hold the rods.

The intermediate or adjusting frame consists of a cross-head and connected guide bars. The cross-head comprises two members 17 and 18 united by bolts 19, and each member has at each end an enlargement 20 having an angular groove 21. Guide rods are stationary in the cross-head and are adapted to slide in the enlargements 14 of the members 9 and 10 for vertical adjustment of the frame, and when it is properly adjusted the set screws 16 will be tightened to hold it in place. A hub 22 on the mem ber 17 and a hub 24 on the member 18 support the horizontal member 26 of the vanesupporting frame.

The vane-supporting frame comprises a horizontal member 26 and a vertical standard 27 rigidly connected with the member 26 and having terminal enlargements 28 in which the vane-shaft 29 rotates. The shaft 29 has at its lower end an enlargement 30 having a diametric hole 31 in which the sweep arm 32 is slidable for adjusting the sweep arm radially relative to the axis of the shaft, to vary the scope of the sweep of the arm to suit chimney fines of different sizes.

A set screw 33 screws into the enlargement 30 and engages on the bar 32 to hold it in any position in which it may be set.

The chain 34 is connected with the arm 32 and extends downward in the chimney flue, practically the entire length of the flue, so that each complete rotation of the shaft will cause the chain to drag on the entire inner surface of the flue and remove all the soot accumulated on the walls of the flue.

The vane 35 has a tubular hub 36 having a tapered terminal part 37 (Fig. 8) adapted to enter the central opening of the ring 38 and bear on and rotate the ring when the vane is rotated. A weight 42 is adapted to .slide onthe stem of the vane, to counterbalance the blade of the vane, so that the vane Wlll turn on a true vertical axis. A set screw 43 secures the weight on the vane stem when the weight has been properly adjusted. The thrust-bearing comprises a. circular cup 39, a concavo-convex ring 38 rotative freely in the cup, and a circular series of balls supporting the ring 38 and rolling 011 the bottom of the cup 39. In the bottom of the cup is a central hole 41 which permits free rotation of the shaft 29 in unison with the rotation of the vane-hub 36 and the ring 38.

To support the thrust bearing on the standard 27 and keep its axis in line with the axis of the shaft, I provide a retainer consisting of a horizontal flat body having a central hole 46; a downwardly extended member 47 at right angles to the body; and vertical blades pressed from the metal of the body and positioned to contact with the circumference of the cup 39 to hold it in such position that its axis will be in line with the axis of the-shaft 29. When the retainer is in place on the upper end of the standard and accurately centered as described the member 47 will be in close contact with the vertical outer wall of the standard and will be secured in place by thescrew 48, as clearly shown in Fig. 8.

In practice I have found that the tops of brick chimneys are often rough and uneven and that cracks and mortar joints will interfere with proper action of the chain 34 unless a suitable guard is provided to keep the chain from catching in'the cracks or on the mortar joints. If the automatic chimney sweep be attached to a smoke jack having a smooth upper end, or to a chimney top having a smooth upper end, the guard may be dispensed with.

The guard comprises four angular bars 50, each having a member 51 at right angles to the body of the bar; a longitudinal slot 52 in the body of the bar; a hole 53 in the member 51 and a pin 54 at the end of the bar adjacent to the member 51. The bars are united b bolts 55 extending through the slots 52 and the holes 53. Upon loosening the nuts on the bolts 55 the bars 50 may be moved relatively to each other, to suit flues of different sizes; and when the frame is adjusted so that the inner faces of the bars will be in the same vertical planes with the respective inner faces of the flue, the nuts on the bolts will be tightened to keep the bars in their adjusted position.

If the chimney be of brick or cement, or the like, the pins 54 may be bent at right angles and driven into the wall of the flue to prevent upward movement of the guard frame relative to the top of'the chimney.

Operation.

When the apparatus is installed on a chimney the varying air currents will act on the vane to cause partial or complete rotationsof the shaft 29, from time/to time, ac-

cording to the direction and strength of the wind, and each movement of the shaft will cause the chain to drag on some part of the inner wall of the flue to detach the soot from that part, and each complete rotation of the shaft will drag the chain on and will detach the soot from. the entire inner surface of the flue.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In an automatic chimney sweep, the combination of an adjustable attaching frame adapted for attachment on chimneys of different sizes; an adjusting frame sup-- ported on and adjustable vertically and horizontally relative to the attaching frame; a vane-supporting frame supported on and horizontally adjustable relative to said adjusting frame; a vane-shaft rotative on the vane-supporting frame; a vane 0n the vaneshaft; an arm adjustable radially relative to the vane-shaft; and a flexible drag carried by said arm.

2. In an automatic chimney sweep, the combination of a rotative vaneshaft; a vane on the vane-shaft; an arm radially adjustable relative to the vane-shaft; a drag carried by the arm; and a guard adjustable to conform to flues of different sizes and adapted to protect the drag.

3. An adjustable guard frame for chimney sweeps, consisting 'of a plurality of bars each having a, longitudinal slot in the body of the bar,a member at right angles to the body of the bar and having a trans verse hole, and bolts extending through the holes in said bar members and through the slots in the bodies of the bars and adjustably uniting the bars; in combination with an arm rotative above the guard frame;

and a flexible drag traversing the guard frame.

4. In an apparatus of the class described, the combination of a vane having a blade and a counterpoise; a shaft rotative in unison with the vane, an arm adjustable radially relative to the shaft; and a flexible drag carried by said arm.

5. In an apparatus of the class described, the combination of a vane-supporting standard; a vertical vane-shaft rotative in the standarcha retainer co-aXial with the vaneshaft and having upwardly extending blades; a thrust-bearing held true to the axis of the vane-shaft by the blades of said retainer; and a vane having a tapered hub adapted to engage in said thrust-bearing.

6. In an apparatus of the class described, a cross-head comprising parallel members having grooves; guide rods in the grooves of said members; and bolts clamping said members on said rods; in combination with a connecting frame attachable to a chimney; a cross bar supported by said connecting frame and having terminal members adapted to receive and permit vertical sliding of the guide rods; means for securing the guide rods in different positions in the terminal members of the cross bar, to vary the distance between the cross head and the cross bar; and a vane, a vane-shaft, an arm and a drag supported by said cross-head in operative relation to the chimney supporting the attaching frame.

In witness whereof I have hereunto signed my name at Springfield, Illinois, this 29th day of August, 1918.

ROLLIE L. HINMAN.

Witnesses Josnrn S. THOMPSON, EUGENE L. ALLEN.

Copies of this patent may beobtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of I'atents, Washington, D. G. 

